Panicum virgatum ‘Prairie Fire’, hereinafter also referred to as ‘Prairie Fire’ and “the plant” is a new and distinct cultivar of Switch Grass. It was cross by Gary M. Trucks in 2001 between Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’ (not patented)×Panicum ‘Rostrahlbush’ (not patented) at a nursery in Benton Harbor, Mich. and selected for further observation in 2002. The new plant has been asexually reproduced by division at the same perennial plant nursery in Benton Harbor, Mich. and found to produce identical plants that maintain the unique characteristics of the original plant. The plant is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
‘Prairie Fire’ differs from its parents as well as all other Panicum known to the applicant, in that the plant develops a dark wine colored foliage early, grows taller and more prolifically and produces erect flowers. The most similar known Switch Grass cultivars are ‘Shenandoah’ (not patented) and ‘RR1’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,944. Both cultivars develop purplish foliage with ‘Shenandoah’ more arching foliage and coloring later, and ‘RR1’ being much shorter than ‘Prairie Fire’. Panicum ‘Rostrahlbush’ develops a more reddish purplish color later in the season and is shorter than ‘Prairie Fire’. ‘Heavy Metal’, the other parent, is much more blue green and does not develop any purplish foliage color.
TABLE 1SEASONHEIGHTINITIALSEASONALOFCULTIVAR(cm)COLORCOLORCHANGEHABIT‘Prairie Fire’100BlueGrayedEarly JulyUprightgreenpurple‘Haense100GreenRed purpleEarlyUprightHerms’August‘Heavy Metal’130BlueBlue greenNoneUprightgreen‘Rostrahlbush’110GreenRed purpleEarlyUprightAugustRR155BlueRed purpleMid JulyUprightgreen‘Shenandoah’140BlueRed purpleLate Julyarchinggreen